In pipeline operations and other industrial applications, orifice flow meters are used to measure the volumetric flow rate of a gaseous or liquid flow stream moving through a piping section or conduit. Specifically, an orifice plate including a central orifice which is smaller than the inner diameter of the adjacent piping section is suspended within the flow meter such that fluid flowing along the piping section is forced through the central orifice thereby resulting in a pressure differential across the plate. This pressure different can be measured (e.g., by pressure transducers and/or the like) and used to calculate the volumetric flow rate of fluid flowing through the flow meter.